Perceived Risk, Trust, and Online Food Purchase Intention Among Malaysians

The food distribution industry is proliferating significantly and contributing to the economies. The spread of technology enhances the consumption patterns as young and educated consumers are attracted to use the online food purchase systems. This study investigated the perceived risk of consumers and the impact of perceived risks on the purchase intention of the takeaway online ordering model. Google Form was used to obtain the target respondents through various online social media platforms such as WeChat, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook to collect data from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 350 valid responses were utilized for partial least square structure equation modeling based data analysis. The study results confirm that financial risk, time risk, and psychological risk can significantly influence the trust in online food sellers. However, time risk, psychological risk, and trust in online sellers can significantly influence the intention to purchase online food. Trust in online significantly mediates the relationship between the associated risk in an online purchase and the intention to purchase online food. The most significant contributor to the intention to purchase food is the trust in online sellers than time risk and psychological risk. Research findings offer practical insights into the process of online food purchases. This study provides practical suggestions, study limitations, and future research opportunities.